Chain pipe tongs



Jan. 20, 1.931.

w. c. KREss CHAIN PIPE fr-dwes Filed April 10, 1929 INVENTOR By Attorneys,

I 1 tongsadapte'd forservice on pipes,' ;;pipei.fi "i v tings, fiangesandthelike,t-and a msto: pr

I end betweenithe jaw element's."

1 .tion, all of which will become apparentffrom] aowherein,

,jiloniirii rrrn I i i-pplieationi flied: Ap i 1 I The present invention relates tochain pipe vide"Icert'ain improvements therein. I I

The objects of the-present invention are to- 1 generally iimprove the construction and; re duoe the cost of manufacture of chain pipe tongs provided with a ourvedworking'face having a bifurcated gripping portion at'the f the jaw and a continuousgripping' poia I tion rearwardly'of said end. I Accordingto ,thepresent invention I pro-* v'idea chain pipetongs-of the character deescribed, having reversible'jaw elements, each 115 formed with two complete and independent r sets of gripping snrface'sl andchain' anchor ages adaptedto accommodate either a fiat link chain or acableohain, said jawelements being I so shaped'and eo-rela'ted'to the, handle-aste provide'easy hooking in'or engagement of the I chain and provide a perfect natural clearance where the .swinginglink of the chain passes The invention also embodies other 'advan- I 'tages whlchresult from ltSllOVBl constrncthe detailed description which follows i- Aprefer'red embodiment "of my invention 7 is illustrated the accompanying drawings,

- .Figureil is a side'ele'vation'of a 'chain pipe tongs embodying my' invention, showing the chain in gripping relation on a pipe.- Fig.2 is atop plan view of the chain pipe tongs shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is an e 1 leva nd e tionfof the chain pipe tongs-shown in Figs. 1 and 2. v Fig. l is'aside elevation o 1 of one ofthejaw elements. I

'Fig. 5 is an elevationpartly section, of the end portion of the" chain pipe tongs han F l I .r 'Referringto the drawings, thechain pipe tongs illustrated therein comprise, the fol-I lowing component parts The handle A, .a pair of jaw" elements 13, B, a'ohain C,;and the'bolt D and-nut E for secii'r'ing'the jaw elements to the handle,

The handle A may be 0 and contour and is formedatits' jaw" elements.

fthe inner face" f any desired length en-gaging end of substantially rectangularross-section* having-opposite fiat parallel The edgesat' the intersecti a,ano l flat top and; bottom a, a-r-,'.{ I on'siofthe flat sides with the top and'bottom are preferably cham- -fere'd, as best shown at min Fig. 3. The

handle rearward-1y from its end hasahole d i pz'tssi-ng 'therethrough substantially centr-allyof; the flat. sides, foracoominodating the-bolt D andifearwardly of 'said'ihole' it 'is formed with a 'depending' -bifnrcated' lug a having ,a' 'hole a ia passing therethron'gh', in

which..lng-"the endlink-c of the chain G' is fixedly secured. Th'eginner faces oftheg i 1 s asshownat a, to providef for; easy working 7 "therein oftheitermin'al linkthechain The jaw'elerjnents B, B" j-arefa'like excepting that one is designed for engagement 'against the right hand'faceaj ofthehandlef'andthejj I I i otheragainst theileft hand face. A'side from I this distinction e'ach' jaw element oonsists'of i an elongated steel plate, preferably a drop: 1

bifurcated. log a are preferably machined,

forging-having cilrvfe'd. serrated or toothed working faces I), dexmpamgnm the ends I of the plate rearwardly approxim'ately two- .fifthsthe length 0ftheyplate anddisposed in Y inverse-"symmetrical iordiametrical' 'rela j I I eleinents are formed with integral; inwardly extending projectionsjb of a width sncht'hat i tionfto eachother with r'espect: tothe longi f. 7' tndinal oenterlinefOfth plate. Inwardly of I its ends at its cnrvedworking-faoesjthejaw b will besubstantially abutting relation. frhese'projeetions preferably have theiii top snrfa'c'es tapering; inwardly and serrated, forming a V-shaped 'slot or' crotchedf recess I and -.thus constitnteffrearward and inward continnations ofthefsjerrated curved surfaces are preferably flat for"cooperativeflengageingprojections, so asto p'rovide, the necessary 'mately coincidentWiththe center "of cnr'va 'b. The inner faces b- 'Jof'the projections u clearance for the-chain; "Atpoints a n- Y 7 I i v and the rear end of the curvedjworking faces,

, the plates are formed with a recess 6 which provides additional clearance for the chain.

. The inner faces of the jaw elements B and B are preferably machined, as shownat b, for

engagement with the sides a of the handle, and aremachined ontheir outer side as shown at 6 to provide a seating for the head of the bolt D and face of the nut To ac com modate said bolt,the 'ja w elements are. pro-.. vided" with central openings 6?. :It. will be noted that, the jaw. elements are inversely symmetrical with respect to both the center lines wa: and y-y passing through thecenter of opening 6,henceit will be apparent that said element is reversible. to bring either of the gripping surfaces into active position.

To provide a suitable clearance for the chain after engagement around the pipe or fittingtobe gripped, the endfof the handle A is grooved, as shownat a the bottom of said groove being substantially semi-circular in cross-section to accommodate cable chain,

and the side walls of said groove having. in-. termediate. shoulders a for accommodating flat link chain. 1 To further insure proper clearance and accommodation for both types that, although the substantially continuous (lil ' jaw elements might, with otherarrangement of chain, the outer end face of-the projections 12 are shaped to cooperate withthe grooves H in the. end of the. handle, as best shown by the reference characters 6 and 6 in Fi 2.

The chain pipe tongs as thus describe in mannerof. use, does not difl'erfrom chain pipe tongs'heretofore employed. It will be apparent, however, in view of the specific 7 form of the jaw elements and its cooperative relation withthe handle, that the-chain pipe tongsiof the present invention are equally well adapted for eflicient use with; either'a flat link chain, or a cable chain, on both pipe and pipe fittings; and further, that when the teeth or serrations in one of the working faces of a jaw element become worn and in- Y efiicient, the second gripping surface thereof can be readily brought into use. It willbe apparent also that by forming the gripping surfaces on separate jaw elements, thecost' of the machiningoperations in forming the V- shaped slot, or crotch-like recess inwardly of the gripping faces, is kept at a minimum, thereby aiding in economical production of the device as a whole; It will alsobe noted portion of the gripping faces bearing the V-shaped slot, orcrotch-like recess, of the of theelements, tend strongly to obstruct the proper operation of the chain, the present invention provides both foreasy hooking-in Iward each other 7 single bolt,

ofthe chain and for natural clearance of the swinging link thereof. 7 While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the specific form of device illustrated, but that modifications thereof may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the ingrippingljaw witlra bifurcated portion ex tcnding' inwardly from the endasubstantial distance and a practically continuous trans- Verse Portion, inwardly .Of. said bifurcated 7 portion, and means for securing said j aw elements to the handle whereby they/are reversible on said handle.

2. A chain pipe tongscomprising-a handle,

a chain, a pair of reversible jaw elements carriedby said handle and provided with at least two'complete sets of curved gripping faces which are laterally spaced apart for a substantial distance inwardly from the ends of the jaw and in substantially abutting relation inwardly of said laterallyspaced apart faces, saidparts in abutting relation converging toward. each other toprovide a crotch-like recess, the faces of the aw elements opposite to the gripping faces being free from projections to provide a clearance'for the chain above the active'gripping faces, and means for securingisaid jaw elements to the handle whereby they are reversible on said handle.

A. chain, pipe tongs comprising a handle and. a pair of reversible jaw elements carried by saidhandle and secured thereto by a single bolt, said jaw elements being disposed on opposite sides of the handle near one endthereof and havingconvex gripping surfaces at the bottom of their forward ends andat the top of their. rearward ends, said gripping faces beingrlisposedin inverse symimetrical or diametrical relation to each other with their gripping faces laterally spacedapart at the ends of the jaw and in substantially laterally-abutting relation inwardly of said ends whereat the gripping faces converge. to- I to provide a crotch-like 'recess, and a chain pivotallysecured at one end to the handle rearwardly ofithe fastening bolt, said jaw elementsbein g reversible on the handle upon loosening the securing bolt.

4. A chainv pipe tongs comprising a handle and a pair of reversible jaw elements carried by said handle,said jaw elements being disposed on opposite sides of the handle near one end thereof and fastened thereto by a said jaw elements having two sets of convex gripping surfaces, one atthe bottom forward end and the other. at the top,

rear end, said grippingfsnr faces beingfdis-Q posed in inverse symmettical or di a'inetrical relation 1 tq-each other with'their 'gripping f surfaces laterally spacedapzirt aflthe ends of j r V the jaw and inlaterally,Substantiallyabut},

-,-5 tingfrelation inwardly f said end s,jaicliain V I pivotally gecur'ed. to said han'dl're airwgtfidly- I from the fasteninglb olt passingthrnthrongh, 4

anchoring means'Onisaiidjawjelgnientsl ioi' 9ngaging the chain iiltellfii lfldiafle' igs ends'fihe end Qf't-h handleibetween thefjawsb'eing grooved andthe fzice s o nthervj aw'blem'eritsoP- po'site-io the Working faces-being plainand' free ffom pfojectionto provid clea ar'ice for z 7 the chain abovetheactivdgrippingisjirfzic;1 I In witneswhereof,Ihaye hereunto signed my name. 

